Skip to main content

The Notre Dame MBA and Military Candidates – A History of Collaboration

Notre Dame MBA - Percentage from the Military, Curriculum Support, Student Clubs, and MBA Funding through Fellowship and Yellow Ribbon Program

University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business has a history of deep commitment to veterans. The association goes back 150 years ago, including a collaboration during World War II with the training of nearly 12,000 naval officers. Today, the University hosts Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) programs for the Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Army, underlining its enduring relationship with the military.

One notable aspect that contributes to the comfort of veterans at Notre Dame is the emphasis on ethics, honor, dedication, and teamwork – core values that resonate with military values. This alignment ensures that veterans can seamlessly integrate their military experience with the Notre Dame MBA curriculum.

Percentage from the Military: Mendoza College of Business places a strong emphasis on representing military veterans, with 20% of the Class of 2025 consisting of U.S. veterans. This represents a 3% increase from the previous year, demonstrating the school's ongoing commitment to veterans.  

Curriculum: The Notre Dame MBA program recognizes the unique needs of military veterans and offers individual coaching through its Career Catalyst Program to bridge the gap between the military and the business world to ensure a smooth transition to civilian life and a successful MBA journey.

Mendoza MBA program includes leadership courses in the Core.  Career Leadership and Leading People and Team during the first year of the program are two noticeable ones that offer veterans the tool to lead in a corporate environment. Grow Irish Week is a crucial experiential learning that helps veterans to make international connects and use their military as well as business school learning in tackling real-world business problems.

Student Clubs: The Notre Dame MBA Veteran’s Club is one of the largest and most active clubs in the US. The club’s mission is to serve as a professional and personal networking resource for Mendoza MBA Military Veteran students is exemplified with the principles of servant-leadership- a philosophy of Leadership to serve, within the Mendoza and local communities.

The Mil Vets Club's substantial membership enables the club to host cross-disciplinary service projects and serve as a unifying social force on campus.

Funding: Notre Dame actively participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, providing significant financial support to eligible veterans. The benefits are substantial, with an $18,077 tuition and fee reimbursement. The university's $15,000 Yellow Ribbon contribution is matched by the VA's $15,000, resulting in a total benefit of $48,077. On top of this, veterans receive a $1,200 annual tutoring stipend,  a $1,080 per month Housing Allowance, and a $4,000 Lifetime Learning Credit.

Fellowships

Fellowships are also available to all MBA students at Notre Dame, ranging from $10,000 per year to full tuition and additional aid. Two specific fellowships, ranging from $10,000 a year to full tuition provide essential support to armed forces personnel:

Freedom Fellowships: Designed to assist veterans in their pursuit of an MBA, these fellowships contribute to the overall affordability of the Notre Dame MBA program.

Kenneth R. Meyer Fellowships: With 16 fellowships awarded each year, the fellowship provides financial support including a full tuition fee and an additional $21,000 to military veterans.

Other Initiatives

Mendoza College of Business organizes a special event known as the "Veteran Visit Day." This event provides opportunities for military veterans to learn more about the Notre Dame MBA, Executive MBA, and Global Executive MBA programs. Participants have the chance to meet with current Notre Dame military veteran students, faculty, and alumni, who offer insights into transitioning from military to civilian life through Mendoza's graduate business programs. The event also includes campus tours, discussions on financing through veterans’ affairs, and networking opportunities with members of the MBA Vets Club to initiate the building of personal networks

Related Essay Guide: F1GMAT's Notre Dame MBA Essay Guide

Related Service: F1GMAT's Notre Dame MBA Application Editing Service

References

Veterans at Notre Dame
Notre Dame MBA Veteran's Club

About the Author 

Atul Jose

I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.

 

For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.

 

My work covers the full MBA application deliverable: career planning and profile evaluation, application essay editing, recommendation letter editing, mock interviews and interview preparation, scholarship and fellowship essay editing, and cover letter editing for funding applications. Full bio with credentials and admit history is here.

 

I am the author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, the best-selling essay guide covering M7 MBA programs. I have written and updated the guide annually since 2013, which makes the 2026 edition the thirteenth.

 

The reason I still write and edit essays every cycle: a good MBA essay carries a real applicant's voice. Writing essays for F1GMAT's Books and Editing essays weekly is how I stay calibrated to what current admissions committees respond to.

 

Contact me for school selection, career planning, essay strategy, narrative development, essay editing, interview preparation, scholarship essay editing, or guidance documents for recommendation letters.